Even a yarn demon can create heavenly knits....

March 13, 2010

I have started fitting out for my knitting cruises already! I've been working for about a week now on putting together the elements for an aran sweater design that I will give to my Knitting Cruise passengers. I am calling this design "Hard Alee", because it has so many turns and bends in the cables, and "Hard Alee!" is what Brenda shouts when she wants the crew to scamper and tack the boat.

I enjoyed knitting the initial swatch quite a bit:

This morning I worked at writing the pattern, which involved some measuring and some math, which is fun because it is like a puzzle. Now I have to write the stitch patterns out, wind some yarn into a ball, and start actually knitting the model. I am designing the sweater to have finished measurements of 40", 44", 48", and 52". I will knit the model in the 48" measurement, but I would love to find someone willing to knit the smallest size as well, because that way people could try on the sweaters and see if they need the next size up or down. Any takers? I can pay you in yarn or a gift certificate to Unique One :)

I also have a modular scarf started (Modular Knitting class, April 10 & 17! Sign up now!) that I will also be using on the boat. I haven't gotten very far on it yet because I got sidetracked with the Therapi Wrap:

I am using the Secret Sheep Blend yarn from Good Karma Farm. What wonderful yarn to knit with!

I have a couple of other scarf projects that I really hope I can get done before the knitting cruises, but I will talk about them if I start working on them.

And in my personal "just for fun" knitting, I have finished the body of Corduroy and am about 2 inches done on the first sleeve. I hope to be wearing it at the March Knitting Weekend!

March 09, 2010

I got the Therapi Wrap done (wellllll I do have to weave in some ends, but it is pretty much done). Pictures before grafting and after:

I kind of messed up the grafting, due partly to forgetfulness and partly to stupidity. I forgot to pick up the extra half stitch from the side of the provisional cast on, so I would have been one stitch off in my count anyway, but I was three stitches off because I had cast on the wrong number in the first place. So I either increased or decreased 2 sts to get the right number, making a mental note to do the opposite on the other end before grafting, but then I lost the mental note. Go figure. Since I did not count the number of stitches on both needles before grafting, (DUH), I ended up with three extra stitches on one needle and had to fudge it at the end. Throw in the fact that I forgot to switch back to garter stitch grafting at the beginning of the garter stitches at the other end of the wrap, having done the first garter stitch/switch to stockinette stitch perfectly at the beginning, and you have pretty much a disaster of grafting. Which, by the way, I am leaving right where it is, so that everyone will see it and I can learn humility.

Other than my own operator error problems, I am quite happy with the wrap itself. It's lovely to look at and lovely to feel :)

I have never shown pictures of the Corduroy pullover I am making from A Fine Fleece. Here are some pictures:

I am using sport weight Peace Fleece that I got about 10 years ago, seriously. I finally decided to use it up. I love the color, a nice medium to dark purple.

I have the body nearly done; I probably do a 3-needle bind off to join the shoulder stitches tonight, and pick up the sleeve stitches. It shouldn't take too long to do the sleeves and the collar, and then it will be done! I figure 2 weeks to finish it, so I should shoot for my deadline to be the March Knitting Weekend at the end of the month.

It is a sweater, so of course it flips up on the bottom.

If anyone can tell me how to stop my sweaters from flipping up on the bottom, I would be very very very grateful!

Now that my Therapi Wrap is done, I am pushing forward on the Modular Scarf I am making for my modular knitting class (April 10 & 17). The pattern will also be handed out on the knitting cruises on the Isaac Evans, and it will also be offered for sale at Unique One after April 17. I will show pictures as soon as I am able.

I have also started work on designing another scarf, a pair of fingerless gloves, a hat, and an Aran sweater, all of which will be patterns handed out on the knitting cruises this year, and offered for sale in Unique One starting in July. So stay tuned for new stuff to knit :)

November 19, 2009

Sorry, I forgot to post Day 2 of vacation. Pretty much, it was just spinning and knitting. Oh, and there was a fire drill in the hotel. They warned me about it, so I left for a walk and missed the whole thing.

My Hanne Falkenberg jacket is done except for 1/2 the collar band and the two narrow sleeve cuffs. I got some lovely yellow Peace Fleece at Halcyon not too long ago, and I knit a mitten from it. I spun the 4 ounces of 50/50 merino & tencel fiber I got from Spunky Eclectic at the SPA in February, it is a pretty blue-green/yellow/brown color called "Aspen". It's shiny! It's really pretty, and I think the skein will become a Christmas present. I also went to Grace Robinson and got some sport weight 100% silk from Colinette in the pretty blue color "Lapis", which I have now half done a "Sea-Wool Scarf" from Yarn Forward magazine, issue #11 I think. It's a small version of a Faroe-type shawl, meant to be worn as a scarf, with long tassels that hang down from the 3 points. Its pretty. It might become a Christmas present too. I love it but I don't think I would wear it. I also don't know what to do with my Martini scarf; I love it a lot, but I don't think I will wear it.

Even though I had to work yesterday at the store, I am still counting it as Day 3 of my vacation, because last night I went to a fabulous concert in Rockland at the Strand Theater. I heard Coco Montoya and Tommy Castro play some excellent blues! It was a rockin' event, and I loved it. Before the show, I went to dinner at Rustica, about 50 steps from the Strand, and had veggie lasagne followed by........

...... limoncello for dessert. I was introduced to limoncello on one of the September knitting cruises this year by Mrs. Krueger (of the Alaskan Mrs. Kruegers), and it is yummy. It will knock you flat on your ass in about 10 miliseconds, so you have to be careful, you have to really really really sip it. And when I say, sip it, I mean SIP IT. Slowly. Take a small sip, savor it, swallow it. Do not sip again until the burning in your throat goes away!!! It took me 20 minutes to drink that little glass of limoncello, but I could still walk afterwards, so I count that as a win. And I knew I had about 4 more hours before I would be driving, so all was well, don't worry.

Things are pretty slow at the store, but I am trying to be positive. As in, "I am positive I am not making any money!!!" Heh. Hopefully things will pick up. The yarn store part of Unique One is actually coming along pretty well, but the sweaters are woefully under-inventoried. Susan and Tracy and Stephanie and I are knitting as fast as we can, but it takes a while to make the sweaters in amounts that really show. I have to get through a backlog of sweater orders from this summer, but as soon as those are caught up, I will start making stock for the shelves and then you will see an improvement. I wish I had more inventory for Christmas, but whatchagonna do. All I can do is keep on as best I can.

Happy knitting, and I promise not to write such long blog posts again for a while.

October 03, 2009

Here are pictures from the last knitting cruise of 2009. We had a great time :)

Babs and Linda :)

Diane and Rachel :)

Knitting on deck

At the lobster bake

Knitting on the rocks. See the green chair and the rigger's bag knitting bag? That's me. Or at least, where I was.

Pretty Lighthouse

Linda helps haul lines :)

Knitting at the lobster bake!

Rock climbers :)

Barnacles

We also had a very special occasion on this cruise: it was Capt. Brenda's 40th birthday!!!!! Wheeeeeeee! Here is the sight that greeted my eyes when I hauled my butt up on deck to get to the head as fast as possible one morning:

September 27, 2009

I am home from the last knitting cruise of the season. Sigh. It was fabulous! We had a great time!!!

I took some pictures, but haven't gotten them blogworthy yet; I have been busy creating a Ravelry group for the Isaac Evans knitting cruises. It's for people who have sailed on the Evans knitting cruises, to give us a chance to stay connected, share recipes, give project updates and pictures, and it is also for anyone who might be interested in going on one of the knitting cruises, too! So if you have a Ravelry account, go on over and search for Isaac H. Evans Knitting Cruises, or email me your Ravelry username and I will send you an invitation.

I'm the only one there right now, since I just started the group 7 minutes ago, so pleeeeease come join me!